Will the Dallas Cowboys finally be big free agency spenders in 2026?

INDIANAPOLIS — This might be the year where Jerry Jones finally does it.

The Cowboys owner and general manager told reporters at the NFL scouting combine it’s time for his franchise to spend money in free agency.

It’s not the first time Jones has spoken about spending money to help his club, but it was in drips and drabs.

After watching his defense give up a franchise record 511 points and realize how Seattle and New England, the two Super Bowl participants, used strong defenses to achieve their goals, Jones has seen the light.

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“I can see me being aggressive,” Jones said. “I can see us being aggressive in free agency. By virtue of having two (first-round draft picks) you’re going to spend more money in the draft, than normally you would spend, even though we don’t have a (second-round pick), everybody knows those two ones are dramatically different than one (first-round pick) than two financially.”

The Cowboys have several holes on their defense that’s switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4. There’s the need to find one maybe two inside linebackers, another outside linebacker, a cornerback and a safety.

The free agent market is weak overall on defense.

One of the biggest names on the market, is someone not on the market, in Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby. The Raiders have no plans, at least right now, to trade him. So that leaves the Cowboys searching for impactful players.

Nakobe Dean, the inside linebacker, who played the last four seasons with the Eagles and safety P.J. Locke (Texas), who played six seasons in Denver, are on the list of players the team has interest in.

Dean’s teammate in Philly, safety Reed Blankenship is another possibly along with Trey Hendrickson, the defensive end from Cincinnati.

The Cowboys’ own free agents, edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney and safety Donovan Wilson, might return.

Clowney’s size might not work for the Cowboys looking for bigger defensive ends and the uncertainly if he wants to play outside linebacker in a 3-4.

Wilson’s situation is fluid in terms of a return.

If the Cowboys sign a safety in free agency, whether it’s Blankenship or Locke, money is a determining factor.

The Cowboys have already committed at least $28 million in cap space in a franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens and with running back Javonte Williams, who agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $24 million, guaranteeing him $16 million, there is more work to be done to clear cap space.

The NFL announced that teams will have $301.2 million in salary cap space. As it stands, the Cowboys are over the cap by $56.1 million, according to Over the cap, a website devoted to NFL salaries. But the Cowboys will restructure the contracts of Dak Prescott, Tyler Smith, CeeDee Lamb, Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark to get under the cap.

“The only way to push forward is for me to borrow some of my future,” Jones said of restructuring contracts, which push money down the line.

With two first-round draft picks, the Cowboys can package one of those selections to get a second or third rounder, something they don’t have in 2026. Yet, finding impactful defensive players that can produce immediately will take some pressure off the franchise to make a deal in free agency.

“I’m excited about doing everything we can, now, to really have a better record than we had last year,” Jones said of the team’s 7-9-1 mark in 2025. “A better team than we had last year, that’s why we’ve been doing what we’ve been doing with the coaching staff.”

Coach Brian Schottenheimer hired a younger staff on the defensive side, with plenty of college experience, similar to what he did with the offensive staff when he was first hired in 2025. Jones and Schottenheimer praised new defensive coordinator Christian Parker for being a teacher and a good communicator, something that was an issue with the previous staff under Matt Eberflus.

Regardless of what Jones does with the staff, finding quality players is something that must occur or success is limited. The first step is in free agency, where Jones believes spending more money will benefit the team.

Jones said he wants a defense, “that could support an offense the way that we played at the (high) level last year and get us into the playoffs and give us a chance to get good after we get in the playoffs. I see that defense this year. I do. We don’t have to do much to get better and I’m not trying to be trite, we just don’t have to do much.”

Just spend.

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